CONTROLS Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

controls 1 of 2

noun

Definition of controls next

plural of control

as in controllers

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

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as in hands

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

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as in operations

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

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controls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of control

as in regulates

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

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as in contains

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

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as in rules

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

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as in operates

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of controls

Noun

In lieu of complicated controls and systems, these games seized on the high-energy gameplay of intense dogfighting moments, boiling it down into arcadey combat that was more accessible to the masses. —

Alan Bradley, Space.com, 31 Jan. 2026 Then came write-downs of many of its iconic brands, like Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Maxwell House and Velveeta, in addition to a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission related to its accounting policies and internal controls. —

Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2026 Denmark will also tighten controls on foreigners without legal residence, introduce a new anklet monitor for criminal foreigners, reopen an embassy in Syria and strengthen cooperation with authorities in Afghanistan. —

Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026 The center monitors major highways over the Sierra Nevada for chain controls and snow conditions, although a secondary center in Kingvale also operates in winter. —

Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026 The Note Pro has a simpler set of controls on its front — there’s just one button to start and stop recording, while the original had a button and a slider to switch between recording in person and a phone call. —

Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 31 Jan. 2026 The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board also concluded that while an experienced pilot was at the controls, the person sitting in the right seat wasn’t qualified to be the copilot. —

Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026 The president himself devised a solution to put a steady hand on the wobbling controls. —

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026 Where are the internal controls? —

Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026

Verb

These days, Shane’s dad controls all of his money; paychecks are deposited not in his own account, but in his dad’s. —

Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026 Israel said the crossing had opened in a test, and the Israeli military agency that controls aid to Gaza said residents could begin crossing Monday. —

Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026 There’s an effortlessness with which superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes controls a game whenever the puck is on his stick. —

Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026 In other words, Binance controls how much profit the Trumps will make from the two-billion-dollar stablecoin sale. —

David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026 If the debtor does not turn over the distribution, then the debtor himself is in contempt without relation to what the LLCs do or not do, or even who owns and controls them. —

Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026 Remy Cointreau, another company that controls major Cognac brands Remy Martin and Louis XIII, reported growth of nearly 3 percent in its third quarter, according to the website The Spirits Business. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026 Along with mid-decade redistricting actions in several other states, the Williams litigation and resulting developments could have important ramifications, from how to ensure voting rights, to which party controls the House of Representatives in 2027. —

Jeffrey M. Wice, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026 The state Department of Education controls public education, under the leadership of the governor and the Legislature. —

Shelley Smith Special To The Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controls

Noun

Traditional robotics has addressed this by separating locomotion and manipulation into distinct controllers linked by state machines, resulting in slow, brittle, and unnatural behavior.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Subsequent questions from the board focused largely on what investigators described as a history of compressed scheduling, the lack of options to offload some aircrafts and a complex workload for controllers.

— Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026